At bus depot, a few masks, no screening | Noida News

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad administration may be trying to get residents to follow Covid-19 protocols but for the last three days at the Kaushambi bus depot, migrant workers are gathering in large numbers to return home fearing a rerun of the 2020 lockdown. And most of them can be seen without masks even as there is no screening at the depot gate nor any social distancing. Over 1 lakh have already left for their home states.
Sunil Kumar, a UP Roadways conductor, said that most of the passengers are boarding buses without covering their faces. “I have purchased a bottle of sanitiser and make it a point to request passengers to clean their hands before entering the bus. Some with face gear drop their masks once they take their seats, but I remind them of the importance of sporting the face gear,” he said.
An official at the Kaushambi bus depot said, “After seeing the huge number of migrant workers returning to their home states or districts, it is not possible for us to ask everyone to follow the Covid-19 rules. We tried convincing some passengers on the second day but people just refuse to listen to us. Some are even ready to fight with us when we ask them to wear the mask.”
However, Rahul Sharma, a daily wager from Gurgaon, said that he was feeling comfortable after wearing the mask. “I am not afraid of Covid-19, but scared of dying without food.” Meanwhile, an official said that over 45,000 passengers return to their hometowns in 838 buses on Wednesday. “On Tuesday, over 55,000 passengers returned home in 1,067 buses. We have also observed that besides migrant workers, students and employees of private companies are also returning to their homes districts or states.”